After today’s news, maybe Garfield won’t hate Mondays quite so much anymore.
That’s because Jim Davis’ signature cartoon creation is getting yet another movie — this one animated. The new Garfield will have a new voice too: Chris Pratt, one of the most prolific big-screen voice actors around. He’s previously appeared in two LEGO Movies and Pixar’s Onward and he was recently announced as the voice of Mario in the upcoming Super Mario Bros. animated movie.
Per The Hollywood Reporter, the new Garfield will come from Sony Pictures and already has an entire creative team lined up:
Andrew Kosove and Broderick Johnson’s Alcon Entertainment is behind the new Garfield, which has been picked up for worldwide (excluding China) release by Sony Pictures. The script written by Oscar nominee David Reynolds (Finding Nemo) is being directed by Mark Dindal (Chicken Little), with the duo having previously worked together on The Emperor’s New Groove.
Jim Davis’ Garfield strip has been published since 1978. Its popularity was cemented through a series of compilation books, a ton of merchandise, and a cartoon series, Garfield and Friends, that aired for seven seasons from the late ’80s through the early ’90s. On that show, Garfield was voiced by Lorenzo Music.
When Garfield appeared in two live-action movies in the 2000s, Bill Murray played the character, who appeared as a CGI creation. (According to legend, Murray took the role because he mistakenly believed that the writer of the film, Joel Cohen, was actuall Joel Coen of the Coen brothers.) Murray and Pratt have certain similar comic leading man qualities, so it should all work out? Assuming Pratt likes lasagna. That could be the big deal breaker.
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